Epsilon-polylysine is widely used as a food additive. Epsilon-polylysine exhibits extensive antimicrobial activity against gram-negative bacteria, gram-positive bacteria, Escherichia coli (E. coli), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), Serratia marcescens (S. marcescens), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), fungi (e.g., Candida albicans (C. albicans)), Fusarium solani (F. solani) and the like, is safe to living organisms and less expensive than other antimicrobial peptides.
Use of such an inexpensive epsilon-polylysine having extensive antimicrobial activity is proposed in various technical fields.
Patent Document 1 (Nippon Paint Co., Ltd.) relates to an antifouling coating composition characterized in that it comprises a polymer containing water-insolubilized polylysine. This document describes using as a binder resin a polylysine-containing water-insolubilized polymer obtained by introducing an unsaturated bond into polylysine and then copolymerizing it with an unsaturated monomer to graft the polylysine to a water-insoluble polymer.
Patent Document 2 (Chisso Corporation) relates to an antimicrobial resin composition and a molded article using the antimicrobial resin composition. This document discloses an antimicrobial resin composition characterized in that it comprises an epsilon-polylysine- or epsilon-polylysine salt-supported filler, and a molded article thereof (e.g., medical and hygienic goods, tableware, products related to daily life, automotive interior materials, household electric appliances, films, sheets, fiber products).